Tips And Tricks On Do It Yourself Plumbing
Well, you've decided to perfect the plumbing of your house. Good for you! However, there is so much information that you may not know where to begin. Don't worry, plumbing tips are here! Listed below are some tips that will help you get started and organized, so that you can become a plumbing expert.
You need to winter-proof your house. You have to make sure you switch of the master circuit breaker or the shut-off valve before you leave your house. Since one small hole or congested water can quickly freeze and cause pipes to break and expand, you need to drain and open all outdoor and household water lines.
Group all of your plumbing repairs before scheduling a plumber to come out. Check all of your fixtures and faucets. If anything is dripping, running or clogged, make a list for the plumber. That way, when the plumber comes, they can do all of the jobs in one visit. This will cut down on charges.
Find out the plumbing codes in your local area before starting any project. Plumbing codes can vary wildly from area to area and you don't want to run afoul of the codes. Visit your local building department to find out information or hire a plumber for a day to help you go over your plans and provide advice.
Do not ignore a slow flushing toilet. This is usually a sign that something is wrong. It can also cause backups and overflows. The most common causes of a slow flushing toilet are sediment build up, tank malfunctions, or partial clogs. You should periodically check for these problems.
Do not place items in the toilets that do not belong there. For example, if you are a female, do not throw away sanitary pads or tampons in your toilet. This could cause severe damage to your toilet that could require a plumber, or even worse, a whole new toilet!
To ensure garbage disposal lasts long in your home, be sure you keep it cleaned regularly. Create a routine that uses both normal soaps and natural materials like cherry pits of lemon rinds. With this, you'll be able to keep your garbage disposal running and smelling like new.
Got a leaky pipe? In many cases you can repair this yourself without the expense of a plumber. If a joint is leaking, tighten it with a pipe wrench. If the leak is coming from a damaged section of pipe, you can try repairing with a store-bought patching kit. One method involves applying waterproof tape to the section of pipe where there is leakage. Before applying the tape, make sure the pipe is thoroughly dry. Make sure that the tape covers two to three inches on either side of the breakage in the pipe.
Get a good quality replacement shower head. People try to save money by buying the least expensive shower head that is out there. While it may be cheap, chances are you will have to replace it sooner, as it's more likely to break sooner.
If you are going on vacation, look for individual valves under each of your sinks. Turn off water for each appliance. If you live in an apartment building, you will not be able to shut off your system completely but will have to turn off individual valves to prevent any leak from ruining your apartment.
Make sure that any exposed pipes in your home are insulated, especially those found in crawl spaces on the outside walls of your home. This will help keep them from freezing and causing you tons of problems. Frozen pipes can often be devastating and leave you with problems that are expensive to fix and no water in the middle of winter.
Keep an eye on your monthly water bill to catch plumbing problems. Has your water bill gone up recently, even though nothing's changed? This could indicate a water leak or appliance problem somewhere inside website or outside of your home. Check under sinks for rusted pipes, look for water puddles under outside faucets, and consider having a plumber come out to listen to your pipes to detect running water.
If you are going on vacation, look for individual valves under each of your sinks. Turn off water for each appliance. If you live in an apartment building, you will not be able to shut off your system completely but will have to turn off individual valves to prevent any leak from ruining your apartment.
To keep the pipes in your kitchen in tip-top shape, avoid pouring fats or cooking oils down the drain. These liquid fats solidify in the pipes and create clogs. As an added protection, wipe congealed grease from pots to further avoid creating clogged drains. By following these tips, you can help avoid a plumbing disaster.
Is your shower pressure weak due to clogging of the openings in your shower head? Here is a simple and cost-effective tip to take care of that problem. Pour a cup of vinegar into a plastic bag, place it over the shower head, and twist tie it into place so it can soak overnight. In the morning, remove the plastic bag and use an old toothbrush to scrub off the mineral deposits which are clogging the openings. This will help to restore water flow and increase shower pressure.
If you own property where the temperature gets below freezing for an extended amount of time each year, you should make sure that pipes located in unheated areas, such as crawl spaces and garages, are insulated. Pipes that are exposed to the outside elements or those that are prone to freezing, should be protected by heat tape or thermostat-controlled heat cables to prevent them from freezing.
When it comes to plumbing, there is never an unsolvable problem. If you feel yourself becoming frustrated with the project, you should try to take a break from what you are working on. The greatest mistakes start to happen when you become angry and inpatient, so take a break and walk outside.
Homeowners in colder climates where snow and freezing is the norm should insulate all basement plumbing pipes with foam to help keep hot water hot and prevent pipes from sweating in the warmer weather. Properly insulated pipes save money on hot water heating costs and greatly reduce the chance of frozen pipes in the winter.
Copper piping tends to slightly expand when hot water is run through it. This expansion causes the pipes to become misaligned with the pipe hanger. This can damage the pipes over time. Taping around the pipe where it meets the hanger can prevent this problem.
As you can see, plumbing is not rocket science. All you need to do is to find reliable sources that will give you great tips on addressing plumbing problems. The time you invest in educating yourself on plumbing issues will be time well-spent, because it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Meet Bernard the Roughneck, Canada's Joe the Plumber
Canada may have found its very own Joe the Plumber in Bernard Hancock, aka Bernard the Roughneck, a 32-year-old oil-rig worker who made waves when he showed up to the House of Commons dressed in greasy coveralls and a red hard hat.
Like the American Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, who rose to fame as a right-wing everyman during the 2008 US presidential election, Hancock has become the public face of the Alberta oil industry and its employees.
His face and his trademark mop of curly hair are plastered on T-shirts and mugs.
Last week, he appeared on Parliament Hill in his oil-rig getup to support a petition asking the federal government to do more to help Canada's struggling oil and gas industry.
"Families are being destroyed," he said.
The petition, which had 35,000 signatures, was tabled by Alberta Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs and organised by the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC), a pro-oil advocacy group.
Canada’s climate change dilemma
Like many, Mr Hancock was lured out to Alberta with the promise of relatively high wages for relatively low-skilled work. Canada exports CA$220bn (USD$168bn; £129bn) in natural resources a year, mostly to the United States, and the sector accounts for 17% of its GDP, according to 2015 data provided by Natural Resources Canada.
In Alberta, the third-largest oil producer in the world, the oil and gas industry employed approximately 155,000 people in 2015, about 11% fewer than in 2014, according to the Alberta government.
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says that since 2015, the industry lost 40,000 direct jobs - 100,000 when one includes indirect jobs.
Industry advocates blame the downturn on the low price of oil, the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline project in 2015, and the federal Liberal government's proposal to introduce a carbon tax.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aPtc6NECGxbLP-wpZEG0k3o0zCyyXmaz3nqzCM8y_N8/edit?usp=sharing